If you put up a house made specifically for Dees, make sure they are as deep as those made for bluebirds. While Dees seem to prefer smaller floor space boxes they still need the same depth to the nestbox, shallow boxes are not good. My Dees unfortunately this year are now excavating an old woodpecker drilling in a dead tree, not sure how I am going to keep them safe in that vs my nestboxes! Donna

In case the eggs are still OK - maybe you can try moving the nest? I'm not sure if it's possible to reach or if the parents will accept it. But most of the the time it works. I have personally made a little move/remaking a fallen open cap nests with chicks in it, and once I moved a starling nest with eggs from the hole under the roof. I moved it because the chicks were falling out of the hole and it was not the best nesting site. First I screwed the birdhouse to the wall in such a way that the hole in the birdhouse was as close as possible to the hole the birds were using. After that I moved the nest with the eggs into the birdhouse and sealed the hole under the roof. I watched the parents - they started going inside the birdhouse after a very short time. I gave them a few days to get use to the new nesting site and after that I moved it to a pole about 4' from the wall where the house was originally located. They accepted it again and raised chicks from the eggs I moved. You can probably do the same for your birds. If its fails - well, as you said, maybe it's for the best.

They check out my boxes every year but chose one only about every other year. They were in a box last year but have chosen a natural cavity this year. Im in the woods so theres lots of options for all of them here.

Usually I do have HOSPS and HOWRS in my yard. I closed up the bluebird house, since I could only trap so many HOSPS before it became too much. I have not seen or heard any HOWR this year, but they could still be around. I saw the chick leave yesterday afteroon, and I peeked inside. Now there were 2 eggs (instead of 1), covered with down. The other old egg was still jammed between the wall and nest. I've read info that says they usually don't renest in the same place after predator attack. But it's either them or another pair nesting in the old nest. Should I remove that old egg on the side? This is exciting and mysterious at the same time.